Scale isn't budging even though my continued efforts

natalieszapton
natalieszapton Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
My body does feel different. My stomach feels flatter and less bloated. My thighs and bum feel tighter. I can see my collarbone. MY SCALE IS SABOTAGING MY WILL POWER. Why isn't the scale moving. It s actually going up! I was told I had a thyroid problem. I am still going through testing, but have started vitamins and minerals and have the energy I did not have before. I exercise everyday compared to several weeks ago when my only exercise was picking up around the house or sitting on the couch. Someone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me.

Replies

  • beachdiva2010
    beachdiva2010 Posts: 180 Member
    I have Hypothyroidism, and it IS a pain!! Once you get on meds and your thyroid becomes regulated, you'll start to see the difference on the scale. However, it make take a while to find the right dosage. Don't get discouraged! Keep up the great work!! Make sure that you take your measurement, because you WILL burn off a lot of body fat. Good luck!!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    The thyroid thing can complicate things. You say a few weeks ago you were not very active. It's not unusual when you start an exercise program to gain slightly. This is caused by the muscles filling with water and glycogen for future energy use in exercise and causes a slight gain. The good part is the way you're looking and feeling and I'd focus on that. Take a set of baseline measurements at you neck, chest, waist, hips thighs and biceps. Then compare those every couple of weeks. If you are feeling and looking thinner, you are probably getting leaner. If you make your diary puplic, we can take a look and see if there is anything in your nutritional mix that can help. Judgeing by your picture, you don't have a lot to lose to begin with and somtimes when we are near our ideal weight we can lean down with out the scale moving much when we implement exercise. Neve forget the scale can be a heartless lying b*tch! Water retention and all kinds og things come into play with the scale!
  • triathlete06
    triathlete06 Posts: 15
    If you can - read Master Your Metabolism...she talks a lot about the thyroid.
    Very important for people with thyroid issues - stay away from soy (i.e. processed foods).
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    If you can - read Master Your Metabolism...she talks a lot about the thyroid.
    Very important for people with thyroid issues - stay away from soy (i.e. processed foods).

    ^^^^ this - good advice....I started with this book and cut a bunch of stuff out of my diet...and then read more and more and more and cut more and more and more...

    I wouldn't worry so much about the scale rather than measurements and how your clothes are fitting...yes is it tempting to look at the scale...but remember fat takes up a lot of volume - so if you are burning fat...the scale may go very slowly but your body shape is going to change...
  • jasmine101010
    jasmine101010 Posts: 24
    hey yah

    I know the feeling, its day 24 of exercising on the treadmill, my husband says I have lost weight and my legs look thinner and so does my stomach

    However the scales are not budging, I have decided that I wont weigh myself until after another month. I have heard if your not drinking enough water then the fat will hold onto the water thats in your fat. Try upping the water intake and see if this helps.

    Good luck by the way and hope you will succeed in your weight loss goal
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
    Are you checking your inches? People sometime loose inches before the lbs. You could also be gaining muscle depending on what exercises you are doing. Just keep at it!!
  • Muser7
    Muser7 Posts: 2
    If you are working out on a regular basis, it is not uncommon for you to gain some pounds on the scale because you are building muscle while you are burning off the fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. This will lead to a more lean, toned look. Which I am guessing is what you want. It is about transforming your shape. Those that only diet and not add the workouts tend to get smaller, but stay the same general shape. Don't focus so much on the weight, pay more attention to the measurements. Think of it this way, it's not uncommon to see a body builder with 4% or less body fat that weighs over 200lbs. :happy:
  • DaveMXF
    DaveMXF Posts: 52
    If you can - read Master Your Metabolism...she talks a lot about the thyroid.
    Very important for people with thyroid issues - stay away from soy (i.e. processed foods).

    This book is the foundation of my overall nutrition....I swear by it.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    If you are working out on a regular basis, it is not uncommon for you to gain some pounds on the scale because you are building muscle while you are burning off the fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. This will lead to a more lean, toned look. Which I am guessing is what you want. It is about transforming your shape. Those that only diet and not add the workouts tend to get smaller, but stay the same general shape. Don't focus so much on the weight, pay more attention to the measurements. Think of it this way, it's not uncommon to see a body builder with 4% or less body fat that weighs over 200lbs. :happy:

    Few misconceptions here...

    it is very hard to build muscle...any weight gain isn't going to be attributed to muscle gains within the the first few weeks (or even months) of working out...if you are working out - your body can have a tendancy to retain a bit of water as it helps to repair your muscles after being used...

    muscle does not weigh more than fat...a pound of fat takes up a greater volume than a lb of muscle...this is why someone could loose 10 lbs of fat and go down two sizes or really look different just loosing 10 lbs - by working off layers of fat the underlaying muscle can become more pronouced - lending to the leaner more toned look...
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    +1!
  • Muser7
    Muser7 Posts: 2
    You are correct and I mis-spoke here. The correct way to state the muscle weighs more than fat scenario is, "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

    A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller.

    My altimate advice is still "Stop being so obsessed with body weight and start paying attention to body composition." How much body fat do you have compared to muscle? Simply seeing how much you weigh isn't very helpful.
  • Tourney3p0
    Tourney3p0 Posts: 290 Member
    If you're gaining weight, you're either eating too many calories or retaining water.

    Muscle does weigh more than fat by volume, but it's not going to make you *gain* weight unless you're eating a surplus of calories. In a best case scenario, it would make you maintain your current weight while you trim inches.

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